The Saga of Sasha

While we were in Colorado, I got a Facebook message from Jenn.  She started telling me a story about Sasha, the Rottweiler.  She went on and on about how she went missing in 2008 from her home in Indiana, and how she mysteriously ended up in the Humane Society in Phoenix.  I was laughing while relaying the story to Mike because Jenn was beating around the bush.  It took her forever to finally ask me if we would be willing to pick her up.  When she finally got around to the fact that Sasha was in Phoenix, I knew immediately we would pick her up, before ever being asked.  I would hope a friend would do the same for me if Elly or Rommel were in the same situation. I can understand her hesitation: Jenn and I have never met.  We connected through the internet years ago and remained friends, transitioning from Livejournal to Facebook.

One problem: they wanted her picked up immediately.  The Humane Society takes in 130 animals a day, and did not have the space to keep her.  They were kind enough to agree to keep her until noon on Monday.  We arrived back in Casa Grande Saturday night, a day earlier than planned.  We decided to pick up Sasha on Sunday, since we were home and a shelter is no place for a dog.  I kept that to myself.

Mike and I drove to Phoenix and went to the wrong shelter...crap.  We made it to the correct location, square in the ghetto.  And we waited..and waited.  We watched 10 people turn in perfectly healthy cats and dogs.  I wanted to puke.  We decided to make a donation; by the time our number was called to collect Sasha, our donation tripled.  

She was tiny.  A Rottweiler should not be 65 pounds of skin and bone.  Having never met us, she came right to us and hopped in the car.  She gave us kisses throughout the drive home, she knew the horror was over.

Once home, we began the initiation process.  I was a little worried, our dogs were still tired and cranky from a week of camping, and Sasha was stressed and scared.  There was a little fear biting on her part, but once she realized that she was in a safe place, everyone settled down nicely.  

She fit in nicely.  Sasha loved Mike and followed him everywhere.  She would attach herself to whomever was moving about the house and would try to go to work with us. She was great on a leash and loved walks.  We were thrilled when she began eating more and more.  She went from eating 1/2 a cup a day to almost 4 cups.  It was noticeable, she slowly started putting weight on and her coat was a thousand times shinier than it was on day one.  

Jenn would touch base everyday, mom was worried and anxious for her to come home.  Kindred Hearts Transport stepped up to get Sasha back to Indiana.  By the following Thursday, I was informed that she'd be starting her journey on Saturday.  It was like a punch in the gut; we both became extremely fond of Sasha and her waddle.  I wasn't ready for her to go.

I don't know the totality of her life, but I can't imagine it was all that great.  She wound up in a shelter at least twice and 1800 miles from her original home.  She gave birth to a litter of puppies that have since disappeared.  She's felt the pain of being abandoned.  Through it all, she exudes nothing but love.  She wants to wrestle and play the nose game, she wants to be cuddled and loved.  She wants to congregate and play with other dogs.  She wants to BE your companion.  I have so much respect for her love of life and people and mostly for her perseverance.  

I know she is going back to her mom, to Jenn where she belongs.  I know that she will spend the rest of her days loved: going for hikes, cuddling, relaxing.  For that I am thankful.  It helps the melancholy that both Mike and I feel.  I won't lie, I shed a few tears this morning after we saw her off.  

UPDATE: Sasha made it home!!  After a full week on the road with wonderful volunteers who fawned all over her, she landed in Indiana on the 17th.  And it went viral.  ABC Chicago was on site for the reunion and did a nice story about Kindred Hearts and the importance of microchips.  From there it exploded.  First ABC Phoenix mirrored the story, then CNN, Good Morning America, Yahoo news, and the story even ran in Indonesia.  Our girl is famous! She had more hits than the new dog in the White House. WIN!

I love a happy ending.

The Arizona Humane Society is overwhelmed.  Phoenix alone, takes in 130 animals a day.  If you're thinking of adding to your family, adopt.  There is a cat or dog out there just like Sasha who just wants to be part of your family.  If you're thinking of donating, donate to your local shelter or Humane Society: it could make a huge difference in a cat or dogs life.  

Lastly, if you have a dog or a cat, seriously consider having them chipped.  Sasha would never have been reunited with Jenn if it weren't for the microchip with her information on it.  

Unfortunately Home Again

July 27, 2013

We were all reluctant to head home.  We lazed around camp much longer than we should have.  Everyone of us took a shower to help deplete the water supply and make for an easier trip south.  Mandy and I prepped lunch for later, since we knew we had about 500 miles to cover today.

Its funny how recognizable Arizona is.  Of course, you are greeted with a sign at the state border, but the Arizona landscape is so distinct.  We cruised through several Reservations towards 89.

Storm clouds lingered around the peripheral all day.  There was no way we would avoid the rain all day.  Near Cameron, we hit it.  Or it hit us.  At one point, we could only see about 50 feet in front of the Jeep.  It was coming down hard.  We were smack in the middle of a monsoon.  The lightning show was incredible.  One strike landed less than a mile from us; the crack was deafening.  I tried and tried to get a shot through the windshield. But the only photo that came out was an accident.  We were driving next to an unused suspension bridge. Mike mentioned that he liked it so I took a picture....

Awesome! I love a good storm.  Driving through them doesn't faze me.  I would have preferred to sit under a porch and enjoy it, but it was invigorating to be in the thick of it.

Once we hit I-17, it became more difficult to find easy National Forest access.  We pulled into a small neighborhood and had a quick lunch in between storms.  The approaching clouds hurried us back onto the road.

Once we hit Flagstaff, the storms were long behind us.  We joined the hoards of weekenders heading back to Phoenix after escaping the heat for the weekend.  The temperature gauge slowly climbed the further south we went.  Our last fuel stop in Anthem was a stark reminder of what we left behind...104 at 7PM.

Once home, Mike and I stripped the trailer long into the darkness.  Better done now than in the heat of the day tomorrow.  Dogs were bathed and fed, and heaps of laundry and other miscellaneous items were strewn about the house. I was depressed.  Every time we go on vacation, it gets harder and harder to come back.

The four of us have begun discussion on where we will venture to next year.  Colorado again? Utah maybe?  We shall see.  Until then, we will venture out on weekend trips.  Can't wait for our new trailer! Stay tuned for that!!

The Journey Home Begins

July 26, 2013

The trip was ending.  All good things have to come to an end, I suppose.  Breakfast was cooked and the boys began breaking down the Compound. Last night would be the last night the Compound would be set up.  We're actually selling the trailer to Pete and Mandy and moving up to an off road Teardrop trailer. We had a lot of miles to cover, but said farewell to the trips best camp spot.

Rommel had a teary goodbye with the river/creek.

We began our descent towards Durango.  The entire trip, we lamented on how little rain we experienced compared to last year.  The drive south made up for it.  During a break in the rain, we stopped at an overlook.

One thing that surprised me about Colorado, is how poorly residents drive in foul weather.  You would think they'd be champs, but...not so much.  

The lower we went, the warmer is got.  We fueled up in Durango and pushed on towards Cortez.  The map pointed us to National Forest access and we found a nice camp spot nestled in the pines.  Impromptu camp was erected and we relaxed throughout the afternoon.  

Mike and I wandered off to play fetch with Rommel and Mika in the dense brush.  Elly was still feeling under the weather, so she took turns nuzzling Mike and I.

We moseyed back to camp, ate dinner and turned in.  Tomorrow would be the final push back to Casa Grande.  Back to reality.

When One Mountain Pass Isn't Enough

July 25, 2013

We left our humble little Camp Compound and embarked on a long drive.  We wound through the  mountains and past countless enormous ranches.  The Agency Ranch was especially huge and boasted a beautiful complex of log buildings.

We found ourselves in Gunnison National Forest, in a sea of reckless ATV riders.

I love the smell of pine.  The sky was very blue today and made for great pictures.  We started our ascent towards Cumberland Pass.  It was a wonderful drive, cool weather, easy roads.

Cumberland Pass boasted some wonderful views.  Looking down, you could see the river winding through the valley.

It was well after lunch, but Mandy and I thought ahead and packed wraps.  An impromptu picnic was enjoyed at the top of the mountain.

As we began our descent we heard the tell tale sound of a Harley engine.  Wait, that can't be right? A Harley on a dirt road, climbing a mountain? Had the altitude gotten to us?  Nope, we saw an honest to goodness bagger climbing the mountain. Bravo man. Bravo.  Mike is disappointed that I didn't get a picture of the Harley.  He says no picture, no proof - like a UFO sighting.

At the base, we entered the small town of Tincup. It was tiny.  But it still had all the charm of when it was first established.

The clouds were rolling in from the distance, but we were hours away from experiencing rain.  We drove past Taylor Park Reservoir and decided that no matter the beauty we saw today, we probably wouldn't intentionally return.  The park was very busy, which is great for them, but not our cup of tea.

The following drive to Cottonwood Pass (The Continental Divide) was even easier than the one to Cumberland Pass.  Which meant even more people.  We reached the pass and aired up the tires in both vehicles.

It was growing late and we were hundreds of miles from camp.  We rolled into Buena Vista and decided to grab dinner.  We avoided the new yuppie section of town and ate at a small mom and pop shop.  The boys enjoyed a slab of cow and Mandy and I opted for fish.  It down poured while we were eating.

The sun had set long before we actually made it back to camp.  I was starting to feel the effects of all the altitude changes throughout the day and couldn't wait to crawl into our tent.  Unfortunately Elly had other ideas.  My poor baby was sick all throughout the night.  The moment I fell asleep, she needed to go out.  She would panic if I took too long to let her out.  The sky brightened all too quickly and I knew that sleep was an illusion.

Lake City and its Beautiful Surrounds

July 24, 2013

The dreary sky persisted into the morning.  Elly and Rommel lazed around through dinner and camp pack up.

The day prior, we topped off our water at a spring on the Last Dollar Road.  Today, after showers and other water usage, the boys put their thinking caps on and managed to pump up and filter water to replenish.

Meanwhile, I was enamored with the young pine cones.

Blue skies beckoned from Lake City.

We made it to Lake City and hit the only laundromat in the county.  While our clothes were drying, the boys walked the dogs and Mandy and I hit a boutique.  Before leaving, we had a yummy pizza lunch at Poker Alice.  I like Lake City.  The town itself is charming and I fell in love with the surrounding landscape.

We hit a lookout on our way up the mountain.  Elly was once again uncooperative for a family picture.

A few miles straight up a mountain (11,500 ft) we found a National Forest access road.  We meandered our way down the winding one lane road, past campgrounds to find a perfect spot.

We were waved down and pointed towards a moose.  It was munching away in a small pond off the road.

Elly didn't know what to make of all the tall dogs she saw this trip. She whined at cows, horses and now a moose.  It didn't care.

Further up the road, we found a perfect camp spot, tucked off the road and close to the meandering creek.  I stopped in the middle of setting up the tent when I spotted a faint rainbow behind camp.

Rommel was very thankful to camp at another water source.

We were full from lunch so just lounged through the increasingly menacing cloud cover.

After one light rain, we opted to climb the hill side adjacent to camp.  Mandy and Pete stayed at camp.

It was steep at the top.

The sky was getting darker.  But off in the distance there was just enough clear sky to make a pink mark across the clouds.

The approaching sound of thunder drove us back to camp.  I tucked the camera under my light jacket as we dodged rain drops on our way.  A dinner of left over pizza and cocoa was enjoyed while we chatted about the day.  A light rain fell, but by bed time, the rain had stopped.

The Never Ending Day

July 23, 2013

We invested in Butler Maps Back Country Discovery Route collection.  The maps were specifically designed to traverse a state off road on an adventure bike.  We knew it could be done in a Jeep.  What we didn't realize is that when the map said a section was easy, that a two wheel drive sedan could manage it.  The last several days worked out, easy roads and phenomenal scenery.

Today...not so much.  The scenery and weather were lack luster.  Over cast sky, dry dusty roads, meh landscapes = a cranky driver.

We packed up the compound and said goodbye to the Last Dollar Road.  From Ouray, we hit a country road with National Forest access and started our climb.

We stopped at an over look for a quick taco lunch then continued on.  Owl Creek Pass was our first destination.  We made it to the sign that said we were at the pass and we were....let down.  Silverton spoiled us.  Cinnamon and Engineer Passes were something to behold.  Owl Creek provided a muddy river section.

My driver was grumpy before we even finished this loop.  It was long, easy and boring.  We hit pavement on 50 and drove by the Morrow Point Reservoir.

We needed to make camp for the night, but finding an easy spot proved difficult.  We had passed a tell tale brown sign that pointed towards camping south of 50, so we headed back that direction.

Of course, once we passed through a neighborhood, we found ourselves faced with an Indian Reservation.  Hmmn... perseverance pays off, right?  It did.  We found ourselves on National Forest land, and next to a swift moving river.  A nice fisherman pointed us in the direction of a good spot.

The sun briefly made an appearance and Mike played with the dogs in the river.  Rommel would get the tossed rock, Elly would get Rommel and Mika would get....well I wasn't sure what she was digging at.

The water was icy and the current was pretty strong.  Elly didn't go past her elbows, and she got out and watched from above with me for a while.  Rommel is a strong swimmer, he would get caught in the current and expertly (and calmly) swim diagonally back to shallower waters.  Mika....panicked.  I pictured her being swept away and urged her to stay in shallow waters.

After water play, everyone was toweled off to prevent a drastic drop in body temperature after sunset.  Mika toweled herself off, much to the chagrin of her dad.

It briefly rained, but it was consistently windy in the canyon.  As pretty as this campsite was, I knew based on the winds, we would only stay a night.  We made lemon chicken and fresh veggies for dinner, then turned in.